Basically I want to use Thunderbird to manage all my email accounts. But I also want to retain the ability to use Gmail's mail fetcher for a select few accounts.

The thing I don't want to do is download two copies of emails. Is there any way to set it up so my gmail account in thunderbird only downloads the emails meant for it and not the 'fetched email'.

This is mainly for convenience as when I am on my own computer I can use thunderbird but if I am on a different computer I can still access a few different accounts with the one gmail login. Can it be done? Thanks.

I don't know of a single email client even Google Mail on Android that doesn't require you to setup each account by itself. Any email client will download the emails the account recieves.
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RamhoundApr 8 '13 at 14:49

Well I have already got a few pop accounts setup within gmail but I don'necessarily want them getting put in the thunderbird inbox. I think my option might have to be some kind of duplicate filter...
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PatrickApr 8 '13 at 15:31

The fetcher is designed to not mess with (delete , remove from server) the e-mails, just retrieve them on the go right? Then back at thunderbird on your desktop, you have already seen them? this is your "2 copies" ? In thunderbird do you have your e-mails organised by folders , or piling all together in a single inbox? Because if the accounts were organised, any of the accounts you already viewed , that folder could be ignored.
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PsycogeekApr 8 '13 at 15:43

Ohh, great, there are 2 things called gmail fetcher, the one in gmail for retrieving other pop3 accounts, which has a "leave message on server" (or not) switch. and the open source program by the same name? support.google.com/mail/answer/21290?hl=en
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PsycogeekApr 8 '13 at 15:58